


Your Equal

by AmberStripez



Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Episode Fix-it: s08e04 The Last of the Starks, F/M, Fluff, Implied Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-18
Updated: 2019-05-20
Packaged: 2020-03-07 12:12:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18872977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmberStripez/pseuds/AmberStripez
Summary: Arya is silent as Gendry takes her face into his hands and leans in.Before his lips can touch hers she breathes, “No... I can’t.”Gendry’s eyebrows knit together and his forehead creases, “You don’t want me?”His gaze hits their feet as his palms slide from her cheeks. She catches his wrists and holds them in place. They lock eyes and Gendry feels as though Arya is boring a hole into him.





	1. Chapter 1

“That’s not me.” Arya murmurs and bends down to place her quiver by her bow.  
Gendry’s face says it all. He’s clearly crestfallen and he inhales slowly.  
“Arya,” it’s more a plea than an address, “I always thought I wanted to be a lord. I thought I wanted to live in a castle. Thought I wanted fancy clothes and flowing ale. Thought I wanted a simple lady and a simple life. But then I met you. And after that, all I ever wanted was to be worthy of you. To be your equal. I don’t want to be a lord if I can’t be with you.” The candle light dances over his face like the hurt dances through his voice.  
Arya’s eyes land on his chest then flick up to his eyes, “You’ve always been my equal, you have always been worthy to me. Waters or Baratheon, it’s never mattered to me.” She holds his face with her left hand, “But, Gendry, I’ve never been a lady. I’ll never be a lady. I can’t give you want you want.” With that her face fills with sorrow, she draws her hand to her chest and retreats back.  
Gendry shakes his head and steps into the space she left, “Then you won’t be a lady and I won’t be a lord. I can just be yours and you can be mine. And I’ll follow you… Wherever you want to go, I don’t care. I just want you.”  
Arya is silent as Gendry takes her face into his hands and leans in.  
Before his lips can touch hers she breathes, “No... I can’t.”  
Gendry’s eyebrows knit together and his forehead creases, “You don’t want me?”  
His gaze hits their feet as his palms slide from her cheeks. She catches his wrists and holds them in place. They lock eyes and Gendry feels as though Arya is boring a hole into him. He almost misses the glistening in her lashes.  
In the silence Gendry mutters, “Say it. Say you don’t want me.”  
“I don’t want-” she starts and he pulls his hands back to his sides, but she doesn’t relinquish her grip, “I can’t lie to you. I won’t. But I can’t be with you. There’s something I have to do.” she breaks eye contact now and appears to be looking through time itself, “It’s all I’ve ever wanted. It’s all I’ve ever let myself want. I can’t want anything else until it is done.”  
“Cersei.” Gendry shakes his head and leans down to Arya’s face, “I’ll follow you anywhere. Even there.”  
Arya sighs, “ I know… But I won’t let you. I won’t bring you to Cersei like a calf to be slaughtered. I know too well what she’s capable of. I won’t lose another person I l-”  
Arya’s frown deepens as she stops mid word and Gendry’s eyes widen. He pulls her into a firm hug with one arm around her waist and the other around her shoulders.  
“You love me?” he says it more in disbelief than as a question.  
Arya pushes against his chest too look him in the eyes, “Even if I did. It doesn’t matter. You aren’t coming with me and it’s likely I won’t be back. I’d feel better knowing you were off being a lord in some castle with a lady growing your baby in her belly. Happy. Safe.”  
Gendry breathes a laugh, “Doesn’t matter? Have you been ignoring everything I’ve said? I’ll only ever be happy with you, Arya. You’re my family.”  
Arya’s eyes glimmer, but she bites back any tears. A sad smile parts her lips and she presses them to his. His fingers nest in her hair and her thumb brushes his cheek. He tilts his head to better fit her mouth to his. When her eyes flutter open, she pulls her mouth away.  
“We can argue in the morning.” she says in a final sort of tone as a smirk curls in her lips.  
Gendry raises an eyebrow, “What shall I do until then?”  
She collects her quiver and bow over her right arm and takes his hand in her left hand, “I had something in mind.”  
With Gendry in tow Arya weaves through the crowd of people celebrating the victory or drowning their losses. They go unnoticed, though Arya notes, it wouldn’t matter at this point. They climb the stairs together and slip into the corridor. When they stop at a door Gendry smirks to himself as Arya unlocks it and pulls him in. There is no hesitation as Gendry pulls her hips to his and their mouths meet in the dark of the closed room.

 

When Gendry wakes in the morning he knows immediately. Arya is gone. When he looks to her side of the bed he finds a scroll. Leave it to Arya to leave him a message he can’t read. He sits up and notices the door to the room is open and red flushes his cheeks. Just as he’s praying no one saw him in this compromising circumstance, Ser Davos passes by the open door. Gendry has just enough time to pull his pants back on under the blanket as he hears Davos’ steps hault.  
Ser Davos returns and stands in the doorway, “I see you’ve been busy, Lord Baratheon.”  
Gendry rubs the side of his face and lets out an embarrassed laugh, “Just Gendry is fine. ...While I’ve got you here, Ser Davos, would you do me a favor?”  
Ser Davos looks to be mulling over a thought, “That depends. You got pants on, milord?”  
Gendry pinches the bring of his nose and chuckles, “Yes, would you mind reading this to me?”  
The men meet in the middle of the room and Gendry places the scroll in Davos’ hand.  
He reads aloud, “If all you said last night is true, don’t follow me. I’d rather you die by my hand than hers. You’ve seen me shoot. I won’t miss, I promise.” Ser Davos takes a pause and states, “It’s signed, Your Family.”


	2. Their future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ****SPOILERS FROM S08E06**** Arya and Gendry reunite in Kings Landing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is an unexpected part two. ****SPOILERS from S08E06!**** There will be a part three happy ending! Also, it's 5AM and I'm fresh off the Thrones here so forgive me for errors.

The council concludes as Bran the Broken is deemed king of the six kingdoms. Gendry has scarcely taken his gaze off of Arya, not surprised to see she survived the slaughter of King’s Landing. He wonders what their future holds now. He wonders if they have a future together at all. It dawns on him in that moment: just because she loves him and he loves her does not mean a future together. He will follow her anywhere, but only if she wants that. He is expected to rule the stormlands as there lord. 

Arya looks to him as everyone begins to shuffle down from the center of the dragon pit. She smiles, but Gendry notes there is sorrow in her eyes. She gives a very subtle head nod to the side. With his brows furrowed, Gendry nods in understanding. 

“Go on without me. I’ll meet you at the docks.” Arya urges as Sansa looks back to her expectantly.

Arya walks the outer edge of the pit languidly and Gendry falls into line. They are quiet for a few minutes. Gendry watches Arya’s classic stony expression waiting for her to speak.

When he realizes she won’t he pipes, “Glad you’re alive.”

She pauses and looks to him with a calculated look, “Glad I didn’t have to shoot you.” She smirks, “You’re getting smarter.”

Gendry chuckles, “I figured you’re usually right, so maybe I should start listening to you.”

Arya turns to face him and tilts her head, “Usually?”

“Yes, usually.” He grins and almost hopes she’ll punch him so he has an excuse to grab her hand. Instead she nods and continues to walk and Gendry falls in line beside her. A part of him misses the Arya who used to be an annoying pain in his ass. The Arya who never shut up. He didn’t have to try so hard to read her mind back when she was always speaking it. He chooses to be brave and takes her hand. He feels reassured as her fingers lace between his and she squeezes her palm gently to his. 

He halts this time and Arya turns to him gazing at their intertwined hands with an unreadable expression, “Where do we go now?”

She inhales deeply and sighs, “I’m going west.”

“You mean north?” Gendry reaches up and strokes her healed head wound jokingly.

She bites her bottom lip, “No, I’m going west to where the maps stop.”

Gendry holds her eye contact and scrutinizes her face, “You mean WE are going west?”

Arya blinks a few times looking from their hands to his face, “You are lord of the stormlands now. It’s your duty to your people to serve them. You can’t follow me, even if you love me.”

Gendry grabs Arya’s shoulders and holds her gaze with a new intensity, “If? If I love you? Arya, I love you. I know you love me. I can’t follow you? Or you don’t want me to follow you?”

“You can’t. I don’t… I don’t- y-you just can’t. You can’t. You are the last Baratheon. You are the rightful ruler of Storms End. You are their lord now. You don’t get to choose. It’s your fate.” Arya holds his forearms then pushes his hands from her shoulders.

Gendry throws his hands up and then rubs his face in frustration, “Oh? Oh, I don’t get to choose if I’m a lord? But you aren’t a lady? You never were a lady. You’ve told me many times. Sure seems like you chose your fate there? You can’t choose my fate for me anymore than I can choose yours.”

Arya looks away with her face scrunched up to hide the tears filling her eyes, “I don’t want you to follow me. I want you to rule Storms End.”

Gendry cups her face and turns it to his. Arya is surprised to see more sadness than anger in her eyes. He stares at her frown, “You’re a better liar than that, Arya.”   
Arya reaches her hands up to the back of his neck. She lets him look into her eyes and watch as a few tears roll over her lashes. His lips are parted waiting for her. She pulls his face closer to hers and presses her lips against his. Gendry kisses her back hungrily one hand sneaking to hold her lower back. Arya takes a small breath then immediately takes his lower lip between hers. Arya’s hands slide forward to his face. Her thumbs brush his cheeks and the side of his smile. His arms lock behind her lifting her up to better kiss her. Their mouths slack into each other. Their tongues move back and forth over each other like a wave. After a long moment Arya breaks the kiss. Her arms wrap over his shoulders and she pecks his cheek, then nuzzles her face into his neck. Gendry smiles softly until he realizes his neck is wet with her tears. He gently leans over so Arya’s feet touch the ground. Arya pushes away from him, but his arms remain on her hips.

“Goodbye, Gendry.” Arya whispers to the ground and he looks at her with disbelief. 

He’s left watching her walk away.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm wildly rusty but it was nice to write again. I've never posted anything so I'm not sure how this works. Anyway thanks for reading!


End file.
